invoke
Americanverb (used with object)
-
invokes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
invoked,
past participle, past
-
invoking
present participle
-
to call for with earnest desire; make supplication or pray for.
to invoke God's mercy.
-
to call on (a deity, Muse, etc.), as in prayer or supplication.
-
to declare to be binding or in effect.
to invoke the law;
to invoke a veto.
-
to appeal to, as for confirmation.
-
to petition or call on for help or aid.
-
to call forth or upon (a spirit) by incantation.
-
Computers. to cause to be displayed, opened, or executed by clicking on a link, entering a search term, changing a parameter, etc..
Press and hold the R key to temporarily invoke the Rotate View tool, then drag your document to rotate.
-
to cause, call forth, or bring about.
verb
-
to call upon (an agent, esp God or another deity) for help, inspiration, etc
-
to put (a law, penalty, etc) into use
the union invoked the dispute procedure
-
to appeal to (an outside agent or authority) for confirmation, corroboration, etc
-
to implore or beg (help, etc)
-
to summon (a spirit, demon, etc); conjure up
Usage
What does invoke mean? Invoke means to intensely call for something or call on someone, especially as in a prayer to a god or higher power, as in The holy woman invoked God’s mercy in her prayers. Invoke can also mean to call for help from someone (again, usually a god), as in The shamans invoked the gods to save them from the invading army. Invoke may also refer to stating that something is in effect, like a law or rule, as in The police invoked the new littering law when they fined Demetri for tossing his soda bottle on the ground. And invoke can mean to call or conjure a spirit or demon, as in The warlock invoked a group of infernal imps to do his evil bidding. Example: The ritual is meant to invoke the wrath of the gods and bring misfortune to the people’s enemies.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
invokesimple
-
invokessimple
-
have invokedperfect
-
has invokedperfect
-
am invokingprogressive
-
are invokingprogressive
-
is invokingprogressive
-
have been invokingperfect progressive
-
has been invokingperfect progressive
Past
-
invokedsimple
-
had invokedperfect
-
was invokingprogressive
-
were invokingprogressive
-
had been invokingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of invoke
First recorded in 1480–90; from Latin invocāre, equivalent to in- in- 2 + vocāre “to call,” akin to vōx voice
Explanation
To invoke is to call up something such as a law, a higher power, or even a ghost. In court, you might invoke the Fifth Amendment (the right not to say something that will make you look bad) if you don't want to talk. You can invoke all kinds of people or ideas, alive or dead: "She invokes the spirit of good writing when she proofreads her work." In a time of need, you might invoke a higher power. You could invoke Martin Luther King when talking about equal rights. You might even invoke the spirit of your dead cat at a séance. Just make sure you don't evoke (to bring on a strong emotional reaction) your dead cat; that would just be weird.
Vocabulary lists containing invoke
Latin Love, Vol I: vocare
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Odyssey," Vocabulary from Part 1 of the epic poem
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address (1865)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Renting forever doesn’t invoke a lot of confidence in our future finances,” Mortensen said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
AI leaders, mostly men, mostly in their 40s and 50s, constantly invoke the sci-fi they were raised on.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
In areas such as climate science, pandemics, artificial intelligence or medical research, public conversations frequently invoke scientific consensus.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026
Citing Paul's "obsession" with him, Fauci said he would invoke the Fifth Amendment, refraining from answering questions to avoid self-incrimination, adding that it "pains me to do so."
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
I will uncover and invoke inclinations and aversions.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
"Nicaragua invokes Germany's responsibility in connection to multiple violations of international law, particularly in respect of the odious scourge of genocide and international humanitarian law," ambassador Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez told the court.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
FlightAware has claimed Kalshi continues to solicit bets using its data and repeatedly invokes the FlightAware mark, which is why it is seeking a temporary restraining order and permanent injunction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
The very history he so powerfully invokes to explain the 14th Amendment’s origins often becomes, in his jurisprudence, a reason to limit rather than enlarge its reach.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
The Philippines invokes its geographical proximity to the Spratly Islands as the main basis of its claim for part of the grouping.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
Still a third type of answer to Yali invokes the supposed importance of lowland river valleys in dry climates, where highly productive agriculture depended on large-scale irrigation systems that in turn required centralized bureaucracies.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Article 5—an attack against one member is an attack against all—was invoked for the first and only time in NATO’s history on Sept. 12, 2001.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
But Carney directly invoked the darker, flintier aspects of North American history when he was asked on Aug. 22 whether his country was now at war.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
But the meaning and power of this particular clause has long been debated and seldom invoked.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
New York's state constitution has its own prohibition on double jeopardy, which, if invoked here, could have a knock-on effect on Mangione's upcoming state trial.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Even when it wasn’t Margaret Kochamma who served him, he sought her out with his eyes, and they exchanged secret smiles that invoked the joint memory of their Laugh.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
The majestic costumes of Catarina Copelli, invoking a rich brocaded world on the brink of disappearance, might be the real superstar.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
The eccentric executive cast his criticism as friendly, invoking the French proverb "qui aime bien chatie bien" -- spare the rod, spoil the child.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
Instead of invoking an internal decision maker, James proposes focusing directly on the interacting sensory and motor systems that generate behavior.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
He told the panel he was invoking the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution under the advice of his attorneys.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
By invoking a state of emergency, Hitler was able to suspend Germany's constitution.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
